Firecracker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Firecracker (disambiguation).

Exploding firecracker

A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger, or bunger

) is a small explosive device
primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang; any
visual effect is incidental to this goal. They have fuses, and are wrapped in a heavy paper casing to
contain the explosive compound. Firecrackers, along with fireworks, originated in China.
[citation needed]

Contents
[hide]

1 History

2 Contents of firecrackers

3 How firecrackers were made

4 Culture

5 Legality of firecrackers
o

5.1 Firecracker ban

6 Firecracker brands, packs and labels

7 See also

8 References

9 External links

History[edit]
See also: History of gunpowder

An illustration of a fireworks display from the 16281643 edition of the Ming Dynasty novel Jin Ping Mei.[1]

The predecessor of the firecracker was a type of heated bamboo, used as early as 200 BC, that
exploded when heated continuously. The Chinese name for firecrackers, baozhu, literally means
"exploding bamboo." After the invention of gunpowder, gunpowder firecrackers had a shape that
resembled bamboo and produced a similar sound, so the name "exploding bamboo" was retained.
In traditional Chinese culture, firecrackers were used to scare off evil spirits.
[2]

[3]

[3]

Contents of firecrackers[edit]
Firecrackers are generally made of cardboard or plastic, with flash powder or black powder as the
propellant. This is not always the case, however. Anything from match heads to lighter fluid have
been used successfully in making firecrackers. The key to loud firecrackers, however, although in
part lying in the propellant substance, is pressure. The entire firecracker must be very tightly packed
in order for it to work best. Flash powder, however, does not need to be packed tightly, and should
not be.

How firecrackers were made[edit]

Dyer Ball on firecrackers

James Dyer Ball, in his book Things Chinese, has a detailed description about the process and
material used for making firecrackers at the end of the 19th century. At that time, firecrackers were
made by female and child workers, using straw paper to make the body of the firecracker, while the
fuse was made of bamboo paper imported from Japan, then stiffened with buckwheat paste. The
bamboo paper was cut into strips of 14 inches (360 mm) long and inch (8.5 mm) wide, laid on a
table; a string of gunpowder was placed at the center with a hollow tube, then twisted up to make a
piece of fuse. The firecracker tubes were made from pieces of straw paper wrapped around iron
rods of various diameters and then tightened with a special tool. 200 to 300 firecrackers were tied up
in a bunch, then red clay was spread at the bottom of the bunch and forced into each end of the
firecracker with a punch; gunpowder was poured in, then the other end was sealed with an awl by
turning the tube inward, and a fuse inserted.
1

[4]

Culture[edit]

Two men dressed as colonial soldiers carry a banner, exploding firecrackers, commemorating Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators as part
of Lewes Bonfire Night celebrations.

Firecrackers are commonly used in celebration of holidays or festivals, such

as Halloween, Independence Day (also known as the Fourth of July) in the United States of
America, Diwali in India, Tihar in Nepal, Day of Ashura inMorocco, Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire

Night in the United Kingdom, Skyfest in Ireland, Bastille Day in France, Spanish Fallas, in almost
every cultural festival of Sri Lanka (e.g. Sri Lankan New Year), New Year's Eve and New Year's
Day, Purim in Israel, and in the celebration of Chinese New Year by Chinese communities around
the world.
In Wales the slang term for a firecracker, typically used on Guy Fawkes Night, is a "jacky-jumper".

[5]

Legality of firecrackers[edit]
Firecrackers, as well as other types of explosives, are subject to various laws in many countries,
although firecrackers themselves are not usually considered illegal contraband material. It is usually
the manufacture, sale, storage, and use of firecrackers that are subject to laws including safety
requirements for manufacture, the requirement of a permit to sell or store, or restrictions on the use
of firecrackers.

Firecracker ban[edit]
The use of firecrackers, although a traditional part of celebration, has over the years led to many
injuries. There have been incidents every year of users being blinded, losing body parts, or suffering
other injuries, especially during festivities that customarily involve firecrackers such as Chinese New
Year season. Hence, many governments and authorities have enacted laws completely banning the
sale or use of firecrackers, or banning the use of firecrackers in the street, primarily because of
safety issues.

Australia Australia, with the exception of its capital territory (ACT) and the Northern
Territory, does not permit the use of fireworks except by licensed pyrotechnicians. These rules
also require a permit from the local government, as well as any relevant local bodies such as
maritime or aviation authorities (as relevant to the types of fireworks being used) and hospitals,
schools, etc. within a certain range.

Canada Firecrackers are not authorized under the Explosives Act, thus making
importation, possession, transportation, storage, or manufacturing illegal in Canada. Canada
banned firecrackers on September 27, 1972 after media reports that two children were killed and
three others severely burned when some older children were playing with firecrackers outside
their tent. It later came out that the children inside the tent had actually been smoking and, not
wanting to tell their parents, had told them they had been playing with firecrackers. Fireworks
are still legal to buy for anyone 18 years of age or over.
[6]

[7]

Mainland China As of 2008, most urban areas in mainland China permit firecrackers. In
the first three days of the traditional New Year, it is a tradition that people compete with each
other by playing with firecrackers. However, many urban areas banned them in the 1990s. For
example, they were banned in Beijing's urban districts from 1993 to 2005. In 2004, 37 people
were killed in a stampede when four million people gathered for a rumored Lantern
Festival firework display in nearby Miyun. Since the ban was lifted, the firecracker barrage has
been tremendous. An unusual
feature is that many residents in major cities look down on
street-level fireworks from their tower blocks. Bans are rare in rural areas.
[8]

[9]

[10]

[clarification needed]

Czech Republic Firecrackers are legal in the Czech Republic.

Hong Kong Fireworks are banned for security reasons, as some speculate a connection
between firework use and the 1967 Leftist Riot. However, the gove